


Call. For. Backup.

by BrightTerror



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Episode tag 1x8, Gen, Gil Arroyo Acting as Malcolm Bright's Parental Figure, Gil is a worried dad, Hurt/Comfort, Malcolm Bright Needs a Hug, Malcolm Bright Whump, Malcolm is a danger magnet, Missing Scene, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-19 10:21:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22242880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrightTerror/pseuds/BrightTerror
Summary: A missing scene for the in between time when Malcolm collapses to the floor after being smushed by Paul and his time in Gil’s office with wrapped ribs.Basically, Malcolm struggles out of the tunnel, and then has to deal with a worried team afterwards.
Relationships: Gil Arroyo & Malcolm Bright, Malcolm Bright & Dani Powell, Malcolm Bright & JT Tarmel
Comments: 21
Kudos: 188





	Call. For. Backup.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Here is a little fic inspired by the great @whumpybliss on tumblr who gave me the awesome idea to writing this.  
> Hope y'all enjoy it! This is not beta'd so I am sorry for any typos or mistakes.

“I thought I was going to have to kill you.” Paul said. “But maybe you deserve to know.” He slipped a burner phone in Malcolm’s pocket. “Wait for my instructions, tonight. Tell no one. This is between us.”

Paul then crushed Malcolm between the turnstile one last time with full force before he walked away. 

Malcolm groaned in pain and fell to the floor, hitting his head in the process. He listened as the killer got away, unable to do anything about it. He knew he had a high threshold for pain but the pain he was feeling at the moment was excruciating; he tried to assess his injuries without moving at first, to see how bad it was. He knew it had to be very bad considering the amount of pain he was in, but he still hoped it wasn’t too bad. Who was he kidding? Every breath he took felt like knives being pierced into him… he definitely had at least a few broken ribs. He knew somewhere in his face was bleeding but he didn’t process fully where he was injured. 

He realised the head injuries weren’t that bad, or so he hoped, since he hadn’t fainted yet… or at least he didn’t think he did. He breathed shallowly to avoid more pain in his ribs and began moving his limbs to see how bad it was. He stifled a groan when he moved his arm. The crushing must have dislocated it. His other arm was fine, all things considered; he would surely have some bruises later though. His legs were pretty much the same story, they were fine but bruised. His chest took the worst of it. 

He knew he had to call for help. He knew, even for himself, that this was too much to shrug it off like he usually did. With great difficulty he managed to move his good arm to his pocket to get his phone to call Gil… the problem was that it wasn’t there. Malcolm cursed; Paul must have taken it. He knew he had the phone Paul gave him, but he couldn’t risk using it for anything other than communicating with him. 

Only then he realised that he was going to get himself out of there all by himself. He knew he could do it, wouldn’t be the first time he had to, but it still sucked. 

He managed to pull himself off the ground but only managed to sit against the wall so he could rest before trying to stand up again. 

He didn’t know how he managed, but he eventually struggled his way to the end of the tunnel. When he got out, he stumbled back and almost fell when the light hit him. It was too bright, and he realised he might have been in the tunnel more time than he thought he did. 

He stumbled through the sidewalk, he had his injured hand across his chest protectively and used his other hand to grab onto things if he felt he was going to fall again. His hair was a mess, his nose bloodied from Paul punching him and his suit was wrinkled and dirty. 

This, of course, did not make anyone go near him or ask him if he needed help. This was New York after all, people would just walk past him without a glance uninterested to the bloodied man in the streets and _if_ they did look it was for a second before they kept walking. Malcolm was grateful because he would not be able to talk to anyone if they ask him if he was alright. He was too busy focusing on walking towards the precinct and not falling. 

Somehow, he got to the precinct and made his way towards Gil’s office. He could see Gil, Dani and JT in there. As he was getting closer, Gil noticed Malcolm and knew something was wrong, if the bloodied nose was anything to go by, and he immediately stood up and reached out to Malcolm. 

Gil opened the door and grabbed Malcolm by the arm. “Kid, you alright? What happened to you?” 

Malcolm didn’t notice Gil nor when Dani and JT arrived next to him. His eyes were unfocused, and he was trying to reach the office where he knew it was safe. He continued walking inside, not registering Gil talking to him. 

Once he got to Gil’s office, he realised Gil was there and speaking to him. The older man had a deeply worried expression on his face. Looking around he realised JT and Dani wore the same expression. 

“Gil?” Malcolm breathed out, finally snapping out of his thoughts. 

Gil was relieved his kid finally heard him. “Yeah, Bright, it’s me. What happened?” 

“Bright, you don’t look well. Should we call an ambulance?” Dani asked and JT nodded to her words. 

“No... no ambulances, no hospitals. ‘m fine.” Malcolm mumbled; his words barely coherent. He shook his head and immediately knew it had been a bad idea. He was already half conscious on his way there but shaking his head made him feel even more lightheaded and he started seeing black. “‘M s’rry.” He said desperately before he passed out. 

“Bright!” Dani and Gil said simultaneously while Gil was able to catch him before he fell. Malcolm’s unconscious body was slumped against Gil. Gil and Dani lowered him down to the floor without hitting his head. 

Once Malcolm was laid on the floor Gil checked his pulse before ordering JT to call for an ambulance. He didn’t care what Malcolm had said a few seconds prior, the boy was currently unconscious, and Gil was going to get him medical attendance whether he wanted it or not. 

Dani was extremely worried, she kneeled on the floor to check on Malcolm and saw his face injuries and frowned. Sure, she had noticed the bloodied nose the moment he had walked in but now she could see the light bruises forming on his face in the form of lines across his cheek and she could see traces of tears in his cheeks. “What did you get yourself into this time.” She said to herself, then glanced at Gil who was in the same position as her, sitting next to Bright, opposite of her. 

“Ambulance is on its way.” JT said. “What the hell happened to him?”

“I wish I knew.” Gil sighed. 

A few moments later Malcolm was beginning to regain his consciousness. He opened his eyes and winced when he tried to move. 

Gil noticed and was immediately by his side holding his shoulder to show support. “Hey, kid. You’re okay, you’re safe. Don’t try to make harsh movements until the ambulance gets here.” 

Malcolm tried to sit up immediately. “I don’t need an ambulance.” He said, wincing at every move. “I’m fine.” He sat up against the wall. 

Gil raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth, taken aback at Malcolm’s comment. “Fine?! You just entered the room, face covered in blood and fainted right in front of us. You are not fine!” He was extremely worried to see him like that and he hated to see him hurt. “I don’t care what you say, you are waiting for the ambulance and paramedics are going to make sure you aren’t dying, and you are _not_ going to complain.” He sounded like a tired father, which he was. Having to deal with Malcolm’s danger adventures every other day made him occasionally lose it. 

Malcolm gave in. “Okay, I’ll let them patch me up.” He said vaguely nodding as he rested his head against the wall. “But no hospitals.”

Gil sighed. “Fine.” 

Dani was by the door, having witnessed Malcolm’s and Gil’s talk. She was staring at Malcolm ever since he arrived, worried about what happened to their profiler this time. “Bright, what the hell happened?” 

Malcolm only now realised Dani had been there the whole time. “Dani, hi.” He said quietly and smiled. He noticed JT was there too and his smile grew bigger. “Jamie!” 

JT just glared at him, tired of correcting his name and just shook his head hiding a smile. 

“Jonathan?” 

“It’s JT, Bright. It’s not that complicated.” He snorted. 

“Unless your actual name is JT and it’s in the system thingy I’ll keep trying to guess.” Malcolm slurred his words and laughed. 

“System thingy? Kid, I’m sure you have a concussion.” Gil shook his head. 

Dani asked her question again. “So, are you going to tell us what happened, or do we have to wait to hear your statement to the paramedics.” 

Malcolm closed his eyes and groaned as he tilted his head back against the wall. “Paul.”

“Paul? As in Paul Lazar?”

Malcolm hummed in agreement. 

Gil was sure his kid will give him a heart attack one of these days. “What the hell are you doing with a serial killer? How did you even end up in the same place?” 

“Long story, so uh... I kind of followed him from the precinct to a tunnel and he ambushed me there. We shared a couple of words and then-”

Before he could finish the paramedics arrived and Malcolm stopped talking. He let the paramedics do their job with minimal grumpiness as Gil stared at him silently telling him that if he made one move to leave before they patched him up Gil would drag his ass to the hospital himself. 

Gil was in the same room as Malcolm until another paramedic asked him to step outside to have a few words with him. Gil was then notified on the many injuries of his kid. Malcolm had a few bruised ribs and one broken, internal bleeding that had stopped not long ago, dislocated shoulder and he did in fact have a mild concussion. 

Gil was enraged that Malcolm had to endure all that and he wanted to yell at him for being so reckless. He loved Malcolm as his own kin, and he couldn’t stand the thought of Malcolm getting seriously hurt or worse. He was going to make sure Malcolm got his rest and he was going to take care of him with Dani’s help but first he needed to talk sense into him. 

Gil strutted back inside the room were Malcolm was being bandaged. As soon as the paramedics were done, Malcolm said thanks and Gil waited for the man to leave the door. Once the medic left, he closed the door and walked towards Malcolm. “Three simple words. I want you to repeat them after me. Call. For. Backup...”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos are really well appreciated!  
> Find me on my Prodigal Son Tumblr blog as @Sherlock-freud.  
> Have a great day!


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